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I've had two UVB lights within the entire time I've had my turtles...one was a big red bulb that wasn't too stable but worked excellent and never gave me problems (yes, I know this sounds like a UVA, but it was really bright...turtle's shells got rock hard), then the next one was so unstable, if I hadn't caught it before it fell in the water, it would've killed my turtles. And also, when it clipped to the sides of my tank, it scraped the heck out of the wooden little lining.

I can't put my turtles outside for sunning anymore in the kiddie pool 'cause there's a mocking bird couple nesting, and they've already tried to pick my turtles out of the water. : /

Can anyone recommend to me a good, stable brand of UVB lights?

Reptisun 10.0 is a bulb I've heard highly recommended.

How big is the enclosure the turtles are in? If it's larger (at least 50 gallons), you might consider a combination mercury vapor light, which would do it all, giving heat, UVB and UVA rays.

It sounds more like you are having an issue with the fixture that holds the bulbs rather than a bulb problem. The reptisun 10.0 will be a tube bulb available in a variety of lengths based on your hood. The mercury vapor bulb I believe is like a standard screw in bulb. So, if you want to avoid the clamp style lights, then go with getting a hood, or choose another style of light that holds a regular bulb.

Put some chicken wire over the top of the kiddie pool then the birds can't get to the turtles.

Reptisun 10.0's also come as compact flourescents, which screw into a fixture like a MVB would.

Chicken wire or 1/2 hardware cloth over the outdoor enclosure would protect your turtles from predators.

That is good to know about the reptisun, all of the screw in kind I have seen aren't UVB. I guess my little town is quite pathetic...back to making trips to columbus for what I need.

Can you buy UVB lights in advance and store them, or do they lose UVB power through prolonged storage? And if that is the case, how do you tell the difference between old and new at the store?

The UVB should be OK in storage. They may or may not include a manufacture date on the box somewhere. I usually order a couple at the same time but I order them online. I only go to the local stores to buy cuttlebone and feeders, and to look at their turtles of course!

Great! Thanks. I think next time I will just get a couple, and I was planning on ordering online. I haven't in the past because it has been like a 'right now' thing. Now that I have time to plan ahead, I can settle into a routine!

I've got two Reptisun 10.0 compact flourescents (replacements for two that didn't live up to what the mfgr said they would), and a Reptisun 10.0 tube and Reptisun 5.0 tube waiting to be used when I switch to tubes. My biggest fear is dropping them or dropping something on them. The coating that emits UVB rays is used up with use, not over time. I've never seen expiration dates on the ones I buy.